Are you embarrassed to ask your doctor certain questions? Even in this enlightened era, many patients feel uneasy discussing bodily functions, symptoms and diseases. Such qualms are not merely academic — they can lead to dire consequences in diagnosing and treating medical conditions.

After traveling the country and listening to women’s most common health problems, Dr. Marianne Legato, one of the nation’s leading advocates for women’s health and director of Columbia’s Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine, answers these common questions and more in What Women Need to Know. This revolutionary book teaches women how to ask their doctors the right questions and leave the office satisfied.

And take it from me, you don’t have to be female to benefit from Dr. Legato’s sage and practical advice.

- Richard Curtis